No peace until Pakistan embraces Islamic law: Taliban

ISLAMABAD, Feb 5 (AFP): Negotiators representing Taliban insurgents said Wednesday there was no chance of peace in Pakistan until the government embraces Islamic sharia law and US-led forces withdraw completely from neighbouring Afghanistan.

The tough conditions appear to deal a blow to hopes that talks with the Pakistani government could end the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) insurgency that has rocked the nuclear-armed country since 2007.

Initial peace talks failed to get under way Tuesday when the government delegation refused to meet the militants' negotiators, citing confusion about the make-up of their team.

The two sides are expected to try to meet again on Thursday or Friday, though no definite arrangements have yet been made.

Washington and Kabul have been deadlocked over a pact known as the Bilateral Security Agreement, which would allow some US troops to stay on in Afghanistan beyond 2014, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai refusing to sign it.

Its supporters say the pact is crucial to Afghanistan's stability after the bulk of NATO forces pull out.

But Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, the head of the TTP's three-man talks team, told AFP there could be "no peace" in the region while there were still US troops across the border.